Siege of Zarmizegetusa (270)

The Siege of Zarmizegetusa occurred from December 270 to January 271 AD when the army of the Roxolani king Meuakos unsuccessfully besieged the Roman provincial capital of Zarmizegetusa in Dacia. The city was rescued by the arrival of Legio IV Pannonica, commanded by Pacuvius Atronius, and Meuakos and most of his warriors were slain in battle.

Background
The Roxolani and other eastern barbarian tribes took advantage of the Roman Empire's instability during the Crisis of the Third Century to declare war on Rome and attack its provinces to the south of the Danube River frontier. The Romans retaliated by raising Legio IV Pannonica in Sirmium, Pannonia with the purpose of protecting Rome's Danube frontier. In 270 AD, Pacuvius Atronius led the legion to capture the Roxolani village of Drobeta. However, the Roxolani king Meuakos proceeded to lead a large army to assault the Roman city of Zarmizegetusa, the capital of their province of Dacia. The city would have been in danger of falling had it not been for Meuakos' hesitancy to assault its garrison, and for Atronius' quick march to relieve the city with his legion.

Battle
The Roman armies joined forces and formed a defensive line, marching into a position not far from the Roxolani army. The Roxolani cavalry attempted to break the Roman line with a cavalry charge, but their cavalry ran into Roman spearmen and were slaughtered. The Roman cavalry then cornered Meuakos, who had taken part in the charge, and Meuakos was slain in the ensuing cavalry clash. With their king dead, the Roxolani army panicked, and hundreds more were slain in the ensuing rout. The Romans took 125 prisoners, and they decided to send them to different parts of the empire as slaves.

Aftermath
The Roman victory was decisive, as the King of the Roxolani had died in battle and the remnants of his army fled, now no longer posing a threat. The remnants of Meuakos' army joined Octamasadas' small force, which soon evacuated the region. The new king, Eisgoudios used Legio IV Pannonica's absence from Drobeta to reclaim the city, but he would be slain at the Battle of Drobeta a few months later, and the Roxolani were compelled to make peace with Rome.